Grandview merchants offered chance to expand their property

GRANDVIEW - Business owners with shops along Wine Country Road, from Euclid Road to Grandridge Road, are being presented an offer they might just not be able to refuse.

Monday night, the Grandview City Council voted to move forward with vacating 10 feet of right-of-way on either side of that particular stretch of Wine Country Road.

The decision to vacate the property was made following an agreement the Council approved with Wine Country Road business owner Ken Herber. Herber, who owns the Dairy Queen, approached the Council several months ago asking if he could purchase the right-of-way that runs along the side of his building. After much discussion, the Council voted to offer Herber 10 feet of right-a-way along Wine Country Road adjacent to his building.

City Administrator Jim Sewell explained that giving up 10 feet of right-of-way on either side of Wine Country Road won't hamper Grandview's future growth. He said the remaining city right-of-way will still make it possible to expand the road from its current three-lane status to a four-lane road if necessary.

Sewell said if each of the business owners along that stretch of Wine Country Road opt to purchase the right-of-way, the city could gain anywhere from $45,000 to $50,000.

He added that although the city is moving forward with vacating the property, it can't force business owners to purchase the land.

"You may have some people who don't want to do it," Sewell said.

He explained that the right-of-way that isn't purchased by abutting business owners will remain in the city's possession.

The property is currently being offered to business owners for the price of 96¢ per square foot.

"What we're offering them is a chance to control their own destiny," Mayor Norm Childress said of the property vacation. "We don't know what's going to happen 10 or 20 years from now."

He added that the price of the property is a good deal, "...because where are you going to get commercial property for 96¢ a square foot?"

Councilman Rick McLean added that business owners should be given a certain time frame to consider purchasing the property, noting that this will give them a chance to plan for the expense.

Following the approval to vacate the right-of-way, council members also voted to set a deadline of Dec. 31, 2006 to purchase the land. Property owners have until that date to purchase the right-of-way for 96¢ per square foot.